The present invention relates generally to a bathroom accessory for use with a plunger and more particularly to an apparatus for blocking the expulsion of debris during the use of a plunger to unstop a clogged apparatus, and a storage means to keep the plunger securely contained when not in use.
There have been other designs that have attempted to solve the problem of germs associated with debris propelled through the use of a plunger and the germs connected to a plunger after use. Such a design is described by Kaplan in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,882. Kaplan describes a self-storing collapsible apparatus in which the collapsible plunger rod is attached to a cover so that when the rod is collapsed, the cover will extend down and cover the suctioning cup of the plunger. The cover is permanently attached to the top of the rod, and serves to conceal the plunger when the plunger is not being used and to protect the plunger user's hands from debris when the plunger is being used. Although Kaplan's design blocks expelled debris from coming into contact with the user's hands, it fails to protect the rest of the user's body since the shield must remain in the same position at the top of the plunger rod.
Another design is described by Wilk in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,006. Wilk describes a plunger connected to a containment system for housing the plunger rod and the suction cup. The housing further serves as a handle in using the plunger. However, Wilk's design does nothing to block the debris that is expelled during the use of the plunger to prevent the debris from coming into contact with the plunger user.
Additionally, Design Patent No. 368,820 describes a contraption for containing a plunger using a bucket having a non-flat base surface and a lid that extends over the rod of the plunger. This invention does not serve as a shield for the user in that the lid has no means of staying positioned on the plunger handle at any particular time during the use of the plunger. Furthermore, the lid has no means for locking itself to the containment basin and therefore allows easy removal of the lid to the basin, which would allow germs to be expelled into the air whenever the apparatus is toppled.
Consequently, none of the patents described above provide a shield to protect more than a person's hands during the use of a plunger. Furthermore none of the designs described above provide for a method for locking a contained plunger when the plunger is not in use so that germs will not be expelled through the toppling of the basin during storage.